When it comes to applying for jobs at colleges, Kim Kun-hee, the wife of the main opposition People Power Party's presidential candidate Yoon Seok-youl, has been accused of lying about her work experience at Alternative Space Loop, a nonprofit cultural center in Seoul. This comes amid continued criticism over Kim's exaggeration of her previous career when it comes to applying for jobs at colleges.
Loop was established in 1999 as a non-profit organization with the mission of disseminating contemporary art and cultural experience to the general public, as well as promoting experimental artists who have developed aesthetics and practices that address social issues of the present.
A JTBC exclusive news report claims that Kim lied about her work experience at Loop when she applied for a teaching position at Suwon Women's University. Kim was fired from Loop after she lied about her work experience. During her time at the organization, she stated that she worked as a curator from 1998 to 2002. However, according to reports, no official from the organization was able to confirm her professional background.
"The only thing I can confirm is that Kim took part in an exhibition at the organization in 2005," says the author. " It is true that her professional achievements were exaggerated in the certificate," said a former director who co-founded the organization in 1999 and ran it until 2015. He spoke to The Korea Herald on Wednesday. He did not want to be identified.
It is unclear whether the certificate was forged or not. Because we have been unable to contact the four people who worked at the organization at the time of the certificate's issuance, there is currently no way to confirm how the certificate was issued.
Kim held a press conference on December 26th, roughly ten days after allegations that she had lied about her work experience in order to obtain positions at colleges first surfaced in the media. In an interview, she acknowledged her mistakes, saying, "I attempted to overstate my career while pursuing jobs and studies at the same time." It hurts to know that my husband has been singled out for criticism because of my flaws."
It is expected that the presidential election will be held on March 9 and that it will be a two-horse race between Yoon and Lee Jae-myung, the presidential candidate for the ruling Democratic Party of Korea.